The Divine Comedy, Volume Two, PURGE-THE-STORY by Luigi Enrico Pietra D’Oro
Reviewed By: Susan Keefe
Susan Keefe reviews and promotes poetry, fiction and non-fiction, audio books, and films. She is also author of the Toby's Tails series of children's books.
Dante’s Divine Comedy was written nearly 700 years ago. It is widely considered to be the foremost work in Italian literature and was based on his contemporary, cultural and religious beliefs. Now this epic poem has been rewritten for the modern world by Luigi Enrico Pietra D’Oro (Lewis Goldstein.) Lewis Goldstein is fulltime Art and Art History Professor at Barstow Community College in California.
Purge the Story (Purgatory) is the second volume and is written in the same rhyming format as Dante’s original. The first volume, Return to the Inferno was published in 2018.
Luigi’s journey begins with the retelling of his last experiences in hell and his emergence onto the foothills of the Mountain of Purgatory, where he is met at the Gates of Purgatory by Pope Francis.
As we travel with Luigi through Purgatory, his, and our eyes are opened to incredible harm the male of the human species has caused to our planet. With striking clarity, the terrible destruction which has been wreaked by a relatively few large corporations is exposed, and we discover how their greed has caused untold damage to our planet, its inhabitants, and their habitats, with wide scale-pollution and long term ecological devastation.
However, this journey through Purgatory’s purpose is to enlighten us to the realization that our planet can be saved if we are prepared to do what is necessary. The wrongdoings of men are laid before us and we are left in no doubt that the road to the salvation of the planet will not be easy. Man, to achieve redemption must take ownership for the horrendous deeds which have happened in the past, learn never to make them again, then purge the sins, and then make atonement for past transgressions. How can this be achieved? Luigi is shown how, and it is by the creation of a feminist partnership society, one which will heal and repair the damage caused by men, and in return realise a wonderful Earthly Garden.
In Summary: This powerful epic poem exposes the very worst in human nature, its greed and thoughtlessness, and yet offers seeds of hope in that by the creation of a new order, the earth can be reborn into the beautiful place it should be. Extremely thought-provoking! Highly Recommended – Susan Keefe TheColumbiaReview.com